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22 December 2024
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This might come as a shock to some, but there is a serious question whether a defined contribution (DC) system like ours is fit for purpose in retirement. That was the fundamental conclusion that motivated the Financial System Inquiry (FSI) recommendation for Comprehensive Income Products for Retirement (CIPRs).
Episode 3 focusses on the small cap rally, how to recognise good startups, Bitcoin, retirement spending, tourism, a new product misrepresenting its features and a Chris Cuffe classic from our archives.
We need different tools to measure success in the retirement phase, as many people become dependent on the cash flow from their super fund. The defined contribution system has failed to keep pace with retirees' needs.
Asia's GDP exceeds North America and Europe combined, and its increasing economic power should be embraced by Australia as we become more a Eurasian society. Are we enlightened enough to grab the opportunities?
Read in their simplest form, it's surprising what rights people give up when they sign into any of the social media sites, and this year's Boyer Lectures highlight where society and social media are headed.
The longer the holding period, the lesser the variation of actual returns from expected ones. Using this principle should allow construction of actively-managed portfolios that outperform passive portfolios.
The Australian banks are on firm ground with strong capital ratios, few bad loan problems and sustainable dividends, but lower demand for credit, tighter margins and the bank levy give no room for complacency.
The major global bond index currently offers a yield of only 1.6% at a time when a rising rate cycle may be starting. There are better risk-return opportunities elsewhere.
It’s with heavy hearts that we announce Firstlinks’ co-founder and former Managing Editor, Graham Hand, has died aged 66. Graham was a legendary figure in the finance industry and here are three tributes to him.
Last year, I wrote an article suggesting returns from ASX stocks would trample those from housing over the next decade. One year later, this is an update on how that forecast is going and what's changed since.
Australia is in the early throes of an intergenerational wealth transfer worth an estimated $3.5 trillion. Here's a case study highlighting some of the challenges with transferring wealth between generations.
The Future Fund's original purpose was to meet the unfunded liabilities of Commonwealth defined benefit schemes. These liabilities have ballooned to an estimated $290 billion and taxpayers continue to be treated like fools.
ASFA provides a key guide for how much you will need to live on in retirement. Unfortunately it has many deficiencies, and the averages don't tell the full story of the growing gender superannuation gap.
The Big Four banks have had an extraordinary run and it’s left income investors with a conundrum: to stick with them even though they now offer relatively low dividend yields and limited growth prospects or to look elsewhere.